When 4-year-old Hayden Hitchcock was asked who his favorite person was at his Sunday school at First Baptist at the Mall, there was no question as to who: Uncle Matt.
It was Uncle Matt who taught him how to fish.
It was Uncle Matt who showed him how to turn on the irrigation at the family’s strawberry field.
It was Uncle Matt who was always there to play games with.
“Hayden loved his Uncle Matt as much as his Uncle Matt loved him,” Sandee Sytsma, Hayden’s aunt said.
Hayden died Sunday, Jan. 4, after an accident at the family’s strawberry field. Matt Parke, 31, was driving slowly around the Parkesdale strawberry field at 4930 Slaten Road while Hayden ran alongside it. He fell and slipped under the truck. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“We know it’s God’s plan,” Sytsma said. We don’t like it, but we will miss him. He was such a big part of our lives.”
As the family adjusts to a new normal, there is no shortage of memories despite Hayden being just a child. He was a spunky boy who loved to play, especially with Parke.
Parke was there when Hayden caught his first fish and his first snook. Parke and Hayden’s older brother, Hunter, also unknowingly taught him how to do push-ups. He would watch the older boys and became determined that he could do one, too.
“He jumped down to the floor and did a perfect set of one-handed pushups,” Sytsma said. “Matt and Hunter just shook their heads and said, ‘Only Hayden.’”
Only Hayden.
Only Hayden would jump from a tractor or playground equipment and courageously declare himself as “fearless.” Only Hayden would put on a school assignment that his goal was to be “hall monitor.” Only Hayden looked so much like his Uncle Matt.
Hayden was also athletic. During a recent family get-together for the holidays, his uncle, Hank Sytsma, taught him the secret to avoid fumbling during a football game. Once he mastered the skill, he couldn’t be happier.
And he had a unique ability to attract friends of all ages. When Sytsma would pick him up from school, even the teenage girls would wave goodbye to him.
“Not just his little buddies, but their older brothers would want to play with him,” Sytsma said.
Captain America was almost as big of a role model for him as Parke. His favorite color was blue, like the superhero’s costume.
But, the thing he enjoyed most was being with his family. When no one was looking, the independent preschooler loved to cuddle. He loved to fish on Parke’s boat and talk Sytsma into making a morning donut run on the way to school a tradition. And he loved visiting the farm. Hayden lived in a Lakeland subdivision, so the family’s history of farming was action packed enough for the little superhero.
Throughout the week, family members’ Facebook pages and phones were filled with messages of prayers and encouragement. To help with medical costs, the family has started a fund. Donations marked, “Memorial Fund for Hayden Hitchcock,” can be mailed to Wells Fargo bank, 1515 Harden Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33803.
“The support from the community has been unbelievable,” Sytsma said. “The farming industry — everyone is so close.
“He loved everybody and everybody loved him,” Sytsma said. “We are all hurting terribly, but have peace in our hearts that Hayden is safe in Jesus’ arms. We know we will all be reunited for our eternal life. (His parents) have such peace with God’s plan and accept it through their heartache. Their strength is amazing.”
Hyaden’s mother, Kristen Hitchcock, is director of major gifts at Florida Baptist Children’s Homes, and her husband Brett works in the construction industry. Hayden has three siblings, including brother, Hunter, 11, and twins, Hailey and Hannah, 7.
